Adelaide’s own acclaimed surrealist artist Andrew Baines has collaborated with several high-profile South Australians and local community services agency Lutheran Care for his latest living art installation.
The striking and thought-provoking installation, titled Behind the Guise of Homelessness, will be unveiled in Adelaide’s Rundle Mall this Saturday.
Baines’ work will feature prominent South Australian’s including Port Adelaide AFLW captain Erin Phillips; media personality Mark Soderstrom; Minister for Human Services Nat Cook; Kaurna Elder Uncle Mickey O’Brien; and Adelaide Fringe CEO Heather Croall.
These identities will be positioned in Rundle Mall under the Gawler Place Canopy, to represent a portrait of just some of the many faces of homelessness, but they will be disguised as such that passersby may not recognise them.
Baines aims to raise the public consciousness of the emergency state of homelessness, challenge attitudes and stereotypes surrounding the growing issue and remind viewers there are complex reasons for homelessness and that it can, and does, happen to anyone.
Andrew Baines is known for his surreal paintings featuring bolar-hatted figures, sausage dogs and cows, and live installations which have included hundreds of suited volunteers – among them some of the country’s top politicians – on beaches for photo shoots.
Juxtaposed with the installation will be stories collected from South Australians with lived experience of homelessness and disadvantage including current and previous Lutheran Care clients.
Baines has been working on his idea for years, and approached Lutheran Care in 2022 to help him drive it. He is passionate about shining a light on homelessness and he knows how fast fortunes can change as he was close to losing everything in the Global Financial Crisis.
“I want to share with our community the true stories of people experiencing homelessness, via a surreal human installation that will open your mind to how close it could be to being on your doorstep. Don’t ever think it can’t happen to you.” he said.
Lutheran Care’s Chief Executive Officer, Rohan Feegrade says that the company is excited to partner with Baines.
“We hope to make it impossible for people to walk past the issue. We also want to break down stereotypes about homelessness. It can and does happen to anyone. The reasons people experience homelessness are many and varied and everyone’s experience is different.
“Rough sleeping can be part of the experience of homelessness for some people, and this can be a visible reminder of the issue with people congregating in public places to stay safe. There are complex challenges and situations that lead to street sleeping and huge health and wellbeing challenges for these people which our colleagues and partners in the Toward Home Alliance and in the broader homelessness service sector aim to help clients work through.” he said.
Where: Gawler Place Canopy, Rundle Mall
When: 11:30am – 12:30pm, Saturday 28th January 2023
For more information, click here.
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